The Save Building Component to Library Dialog Box

Fill in the data of the building component to be added to the component library in the dialog box.

Dialog Box Options

Library
The default assumption is that you are adding the component to the customer-specific component library (custom/complibs/macro_custom). If necessary, you can select another component library by clicking the Select button. Select the library in the browser.
You can also create a new component library as follows:
  1. In the left side browser pane, select Custom Libraries.
  2. In the right side browser pane, right-click to open the context-sensitive menu.
  3. Select Create New Library.
  4. Enter the description of the new library in the text box.
  5. Confirm by clicking OK. The program will create a new folder for the library in the ../custom/complibs folder. The database defining the structure of the library and the related files are saved in the folder.
Select the new library by double-clicking in the right side browser pane.
Note:
  • Sub folders are not supported in component libraries. The drawing and model files of all components must be saved to the main level folder, which is located in the custom/complibs folder. For example:
    • custom/complibs/macro_company_components_1
    • custom/complibs/macro_company_components_2
You can edit the description text of the library by editing the library settings, see Select Available Component Libraries.
Data
Define the following data for the component:
  • Code - Type a code for the component for material collection.
  • Type - Select a component type from the list, for example 10 Miscellaneous.
  • Description - Enter a description for the component. The description is displayed in the browser in which you can select the component to add.
  • Browser Path - Define the folder from which the component can be selected in the browser. Do either of the following:
    • Select an already existing folder in the browser
      1. Click the Browse button. The browser is opened.
      2. Select a browser folder by clicking the right mouse button.
      3. Select Select folder.
    • Create a new folder in the browser
      1. Type the name of the folder in the text field in format /folder/ or /folder/subfolder/.
  • Clipped 2d Presentation - When you use the automatically created drawing as the component's 2D presentation, the program creates it from the model's top view projection by default. Select Clipped 2d Presentation when you want to create the drawing by clipping the component at a certain height. Type the height in the Clipping Height field. Enter the height in relation to the component's origin.
  • Type - Select either of the following:
    • Variable component - When you add the component to a building, the program copies its geometry file to the building's macros folder. When you open the component for editing, it opens in a separate model window. The program creates a new version of the geometry file in the bulding folder, and attaches this file to the selected component. You can update the changes made to the original geometry file to the component in the building model by using the library component update function.
    • Editable component - When you add the component to a building, it becomes part of the building model. The program does not add the component's geometry file to the macros folder of the building. You can edit the component's geometry directly in the building model by using the 3D modeler's functions. Changes made to the original geometry file cannot be updated to the component in the building model.
  • Thumbnail ID - Select whether to create a thumbnail image for the component based on the 2D or the 3D geometry. The program will also create a sequential number for the component for the browser.
Variation parameters
A component may have variable dimensions which you can use to edit the component's geometry. The program will automatically collect such variables defined for the model in the Variation Parameters list. Select the variables that you want to save to the component, and whose value you can later modify in the building model. By default all variables are selected. Clear the check box of a variable, if necessary.
You can also define other parameters for the component by clicking the Add button. Enter the name of the parameter in the Parameter field and the parameter value in the Value field. For example:
  • You can define the height of the component's locating point in the model with the ZO parameter. Type in the height in relation to the floor base height.
  • You can select a dash line 2D-presentation for a macro in the component library using the parameter DASH. Set the desired line spacing as the value of the parameter, for example -50.
If you wish to delete a parameter, select the parameter from the list and click the Delete button. If you delete a variable that was automatically collected from the component's model, you can restore it by clicking the Collect button.
The component is saved in the library with the parameter values in the list. You can edit the parameter value in the Value field. Update the change in the preview window by clicking the Update button.
When you are adding a component, you can edit the parameter values by using the Edit Parameters function in the auxiliary menu.
Note: The program creates a string of parameters and their values, which is stored in the PARAMETERS field of the component library database. If the length of the string is greater than the length of the PARAMETERS field, the exceeding parameters are written to the PARAMETERS2 field of the database. If the field is not in the database, the program prompts to add it to the database. Both fields should be 255 characters long, which is the maximum length of a Vertex database field. If the length of the string formed by the parameters is more than 2x255 = 510 characters, the component cannot be saved. Delete some of the parameters, after which the saving is successful.
Browse / Archive
You can select any component stored in your system to be saved by clicking the Browse button. Select the file (*.vxm) in the Open dialog box.
You can also retrieve the model from the archive by clicking the Archive button. Fill in the search criteria in the dialog box.
The program will copy the model file to a folder in the component library. This enables the component library to be transferable. If you wish to edit the model after saving it in the component library, you must open the model for editing from the folder in the component library. Changes made to the original model will no longer be updated in the model file in the component library.
2D / 3D Accurate / 3D Coarse
You can choose the component's presentation method in the preview image. The projection in the 2D preview image is the same from which the program will generate the 2D drawing of the component for the building's floor plan. Select either of the following from the list above the preview image:
  • Automatic (projection) - The program will generate the drawing from the model's top view projection.
  • Automatic (shaded projection) - The program will generate the drawing from the model's top view projection with a color fill. The color fill is determined by the rendering material or color selected for the component's 3D model.
You can also draw the 2D drawing yourself. You can then set the file you drew as the component's 2D drawing by editing the component library.